Central Spaces

Abstract

Vechtzoom-Zuid in post war neighbourhood Overvecht experiences multiple problems, the modernistic layout does not fit our society, the social cohesion is low and the inhabitants have a lot of social-economical problems. Shopping centre 'De Klop' is located in the centre of this neighbourhood, and experiencing a lot of problems as vacancy, nuisance and neglect. Due to its important location within the neighbourhood, spatially and socially, all the problems of the neighbourhood come together in the centre and, vice versa, the centre has a major impact on these problems. Therefore this research answers the following research question: 'How can modernistic shopping centre de Klop in post-war expansion neighbourhood Overvecht be transformed into an attractive centre that increases the social cohesion of Vechtzoom Zuid, while coping with transitions affecting shopping centres over the next 30 years?'

The research consists of multiple parts. The first part shows how the design of a centre can increase social cohesion in a neighbourhood. This can be done in three ways: Firstly, by making the centre overall more attractive and thereby increasing the use of public facilities. Secondly, by introducing new green spaces, where people can recreate and meet each other. And thirdly, by adding new housing in order to make housing career within the neighbourhood.

The second part shows the original ideas behind the neighbourhood, what changed in current society and what is the core problem within the design. The neighbourhood was built based on the ideas of CIAM, and the ‘Wijkgedachte’, but the changing composition of the population and social idea of top down collective social community caused problems. The collective spaces aren’t used as they are supposed to be, making the area unlively. The barriers caused by the car, and the repetition of buildings make the shopping centre unrecognisable resulting in even less liveliness. Therefore with the transformation of the centre the aim should be to make new, recognisable and accessible collective spaces, that are not yet to be found in the neighbourhood.

Lastly it is researched how a shopping centre should be designed in order to be adaptable to societal changes in the future. The centre should be densified, new slow routing has to be implemented and the transformation should consist out of different vast materialised spaces, functioning as a condition for multiple ways of shopping and commerce where the extremes are fun shopping and run shopping.

The answers of these three parts lead to the objectives and a design goal for the transformation of de Klop: Create new flexible and accessible collective spaces as a condition for a safe and recognisable heart of the neighbourhood where current and future residents can find a motive to visit and meet each other. Resulting in a transformation proposal that creates new flexible central spaces along a slow traffic line, breaking through the zoning of the Modernistic layout.